The Pack
by Altairey
Summary: Officer Wolford partners with Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps when a new threat emerges in Zootopia.
1. Chapter 1

_Daniel Wolford stood alert, ears perked and eyes sharply focused on the darkness around him. The gray wolf raised his taser, ready to catch the criminal if they tried anything. Breathing deeply, he heard a scraping noise to his right. Quickly turning to the noise, he aimed his weapon, but couldn't see anything moving. Taking a few cautious steps forward, the canine sniffed the air before realizing too late that he had been tricked._

 _A heavy paw knocked his weapon out of his paws and shoved him roughly into the wall. Wolford gasped in pain, and a moment later found himself on the ground, pinned under a massive weight. He struggled to free himself, but his arm was wrenched painfully, and he felt a pair off cuffs bind his wrists together. "You lose again, scrawny," a smug voice said directly next to his ear._

 _The lights came back on, and Wolford quickly shut his eyes so they could adjust to the sudden brightness. "Yeah, yeah. Uncuff me." His opponent helped the downed wolf to his feet and removed the pawcuffs from his wrists. "Thank you."_

 _The tiger grinned. "Least I could do for the loser."_

 _Wolford growled but didn't respond to the insult. "Next time you don't need to be so rough, Delgato," he grumbled, rubbing his sore shoulder that had hit the wall. "I'm not really a criminal."_

" _Wolford, are you alright?" Turning at the voice, the two recruits saw the drill instructor, a polar bear, walking toward them._

 _The gray wolf nodded. "A bit sore, but I'll be fine."_

 _The bear smiled. "Good. Now, tell me what you did wrong," she said._

 _Wolford's eyes dropped to the floor. "I was relying too much on my vision. When I started using my nose, I could tell where Delgato was, but it was too late by then."_

" _Correct. Never forget your instincts; you have 'em for a reason." She turned to the tiger. "And you?"  
"Uhh… I caught him. What more is there?" _

_The polar bear caught Delgato with an icy stare. "He's lucky you didn't dislocate his shoulder. Predators like us are already seen as dangerous. We don't need you bullying mammals into agreeing with the sentiment."_

 _Now the tiger averted his eyes. "Yes, ma'am. Won't happen again."_

" _It better not. Now, both of you head to the cafeteria. Training is done for the day."_

 _The two recruits saluted and followed orders._

"What do you think?"

Wolford looked up from his phone upon realizing he was being addressed. "What?"

Officers Fangmeyer and Lupe snickered at him. "I asked if you wanted to try the new bar after work tonight," Fangmeyer said.

Wolford shook his head at the other two wolves. "I'd love to, guys, but I got a date with Jenna tonight."

Fangmeyer barked out a laugh. "No wonder you weren't paying attention to us, ya lovebird."

Lupe smiled. "It's been four years. Are you ever going to propose?"

"Aww, leave him alone. If he wants to make her wait forever, then that's his choice," Fangmeyer teased.

Wolford rolled his eyes at his friends. "I'm twenty-four, and she's twenty-two. We're not exactly old. There's no hurry."

"I bet she doesn't agree."

Wolford's reply was cut off as Chief Bogo entered the bullpen. "Alright, listen up!" the cape buffalo said loudly. "We've received numerous reports of suspicious activity throughout the Meadowlands and several abandoned buildings here in Downtown. Grizzoli, Higgins, and Delgato, take the Downtown cases, The Pack can look into the Meadowlands." The three wolves' ears perked up at the mention of their collective nickname. The three wolves, being the only ones of their species at precinct one and being near the same age, had developed a strong bond. No one was surprised, given that wolves are pack mammals. The three got up to collect the case file as they heard Officers Hopps and Wilde get assigned to patrol Tundratown. Wolford chuckled inwardly. He wasn't particularly close to the ZPD's newest and smallest recruits, but had had to admit they did a good job with the Nighthowler Case. Still, he was glad they got Tundratown instead of him.

"What does the file say?" Lupe asked Fangmeyer, who was holding the folder.

"Several mammals in the Meadowlands has reported strange noises coming from some abandoned houses in the Projects, mostly at night. No one has seen anything, though, so there are no suspects."

"There are Projects in the Meadowlands?" Wolford asked.

"There are Projects in every district. Part of the legislation that got passed with the Mammal Inclusion Initiative," Lupe replied.

"Says here a deer named Holly Garvey was the first to report something. We can start with her," Fangmeyer continued. The white wolf, being the oldest, usually took the lead on cases. "She doesn't live in the Projects, though, just near them."

Thirty minutes later the trio pulled their cruiser up outside Holly's house. Wolford took it in as he climbed out the back seat. It was well kept, the red paint shining in the sun and the lawn well maintained with a beautiful garden of lilies under the large front window.

"Nice place," Lupe commented. The other two nodded in agreement. Fangmeyer rang the doorbell. A few seconds later the door opened to reveal a buck dressed in soil-covered clothing.

"Yes?" he said as he took in the three wolves. Wolford saw a flash of fear in his eyes, but it went away quickly. "How can I help you officers?"

Fangmeyer cleared his throat. "We're looking for a Miss Holly Garvey. We'd like to ask about the report she filed with the ZPD about the Projects."

The buck nodded. "Yes, of course. Come in." He stepped aside, allowing the trio into the house. "Holly!" he called, "Come down here. The ZPD have questions for you."

"One moment!" a female voice called.

Wolford took the opportunity to look around the house, seeing his friends doing the same. It was furnished quite nicely. The two deer were obviously well off.

"Good morning officers. You have some questions for me?" The three wolves turned at the voice, while the buck went back outside. Wolford saw him head toward the garden through the window.

"Yes," Lupe started. "What time did you notice the suspicious activity you mentioned?"

"It was close to sundown. I was just walking back from a friend's house when I heard crashing and what sounded like arguing coming from inside one of the houses. When I told my friend later, she said the house was supposed to have been abandoned for a few months now."  
"Do you know if your friend ever went to check it for herself?"

"She never said anything."

"Do you know the houses address?"

Holly shook her head. "No, but there aren't many empty houses there. It was blue. I can give you my friend's address if you like to talk to her."

Fangmeyer and Wolford, who had both been taking notes during the exchange, looked up. "That might be helpful." Fangmeyer said. "We'll take any help we can get."

As Fangmeyer got the new address from Holly, Lupe and Wolford went back to the cruiser. "What are you thinking?" Wolford inquired, seeing his friend's expression.

"That there's a reason Bogo kept Wilde off this case."

Fangmeyer opened the door as Wolford asked "What do you mean?"

"Nocturnal animals hiding in the Projects? I'd be willing to bet it's foxes."

Fangmeyer shot Lupe a look as he started up the car. "Don't let anyone hear you say that, least of all Wilde and Hopps." Lupe only nodded. "Anyway, we have a few more interviews to do closer to the not-so-abandoned house, so it'll be faster if we split up for them. I'll talk to Holly's friend. Lupe, you go to Mr. James Hill, a raccoon, and Wolford can talk to the Clarks, a couple of ferrets," Fangmeyer laid out the plan for them as he pulled over in front of a house, this one considerably less nice-looking than the Garvey's had been. "Meet back here when you get finished."

The other wolves nodded, climbed out, and set off toward their destinations.


	2. Chapter 2

" _I'm sorry sir, but I just don't see what I did wrong."_

 _Nick Wilde sat in the principal's office. The goat at the desk in front of him took his glasses off and rubbed tiredly at his eyes. "You stole someone's lunch."_

" _No, I found someone's lunch that someone else had stolen."_

" _For the third time this week?"_

" _Yeah. You should be looking for whoever keeps doing that, instead of interrogating me for being nice enough to help," Nick replied._

" _You charge students ten dollars to find their own food."_

" _And they're willing to pay. Happy, even."_

" _And you expect me to believe-"_

" _Principal Cabra," Nick interrupted, "Some jerk stole some lunches. I used my rather impressive sense of smell to find them. That's all."_

 _The principal was quiet for a moment. "Nick. If this were the first time I'd seen you in here, I'd be more inclined to believe you. You're obviously working with someone on this, so if you don't give me a name, I'm going to have to suspend you."_

 _Nick's ears jerked up in shock. "I already told you what happened!" the fox protested. "I swear I didn't take those lunches, and I'm not working with whoever did."_

" _I don't believe you," the goat said simply, "so I have no choice but to suspend you from school. One week. And I will be calling your parents about this. Now go home."_

 _Nick grumbled to himself as he closed his locker and slung his backpack over his shoulder._

" _Hey, Wilde."_

 _Nick recognized the voice but continued walking. "What?"_

" _What happened in there? Did you snitch?"_

 _Nick rounded on the raccoon behind him. "You know damn well I didn't, Frank." Nick turned and walked toward the front doors again. Frank fell in step beside him._

" _So what happened?"_

" _I got suspended for a week."_

" _Shit, man. I'm sorry. Your parents are gonna flip."_

" _Yeah," the fox said, rolling his eyes, "I know. I'm used to it."_

 _The two walked in awkward silence for a moment before the raccoon spoke up again. "So… We'll start again in a week, then?"_

 _Nick shot a sidelong glance at Frank. "No. We're not gonna stop for the week I'm gone and then start as soon as I get back. That would be stupid."_

" _So what are we gonna do?"_

 _Nick sighed. "I don't know yet. I got a week to myself, though," The fox grinned slyly, "I'll think of something."_

Nick stared out the window, watching the scenery go by. Tundratown wasn't the most picturesque place in Zootopia in his opinion- that title would forever be held by the Rainforest district- but it had its own certain charm.

"Nick, are you even listening?" Judy asked next to him.

"Hm? No, I guess not." Nick shot the rabbit his trademarked smirk. "What did you say?"

Judy huffed in the driver's seat. "I asked if you wanted to go see a movie this weekend."

"Sorry, Carrots, no can do. Got a date."

Judy slammed on the breaks and pulled their cruiser to the side of the road. "Jeez, Carrots!" Nick yelled, rubbing his head where it had hit the dashboard. "A little warning next time, please."

Judy ignored him. "A date? With who?" she asked excitedly.

Nick checked that his police shirt was still properly tucked in and that all his equipment was accounted for before he answered. "A vixen I met at the store last night. She locked her keys in her car, so I gave her a ride to her place to get the spares. We talked and she asked me out."

Judy had her fists to her cheeks with her elbows on the steering wheel. She looked at Nick out of the corners of her violet eyes. "And what's her name?"

"You look like Clawhauser right now," Nick snarked. "And her name is Rose."

Judy sat back down in her seat. "Pretty. What's she like?"

"Carrots, I'd love to keep playing twenty questions about my love life, but we are supposed to be on patrol right now"

Judy's ears wilted and she quickly put the cruiser back in drive. "Right, of course. Sorry," She said. "But it's not every day Nick Wilde goes on a date."

"Yeah, well, my old job didn't exactly lead to many opportunities for long-term relationships."

Judy shot a glance and Nick and saw the fox staring out the passenger window again. It wasn't often Nick brought up his past, especially when it had to do with whatever shady and barely legal activities he had done. She debated with herself whether or not to try and get her partner to open up more. She would have to be careful or he would just close her out again. "You've never had a girlfriend before?"

Nick didn't turn his gaze away from the world outside the police car. "I suppose not." He didn't say anything else.

Judy sighed internally. She knew Nick well enough by now to know that he was done with this particular topic. She was about to say something else when the radio buzzed. "Dispatch to Officers Hopps and Wilde. We have reports of vandalism at 400 Taiga Avenue. Go check it out."

Nick picked up the radio. "Roger, dispatch. We're on our way."

Judy sped through the streets, kicking up snow in flurries behind the car. Upon arriving they saw the building was a watch repair shop.

The officers stepped out of their vehicle and approached an elk who appeared to be the store owner judging by his vest which bore the logo of the shop. "Hello sir, I'm Officer Wilde, this is my partner Officer Hopps."

The elk towered above the rabbit and the fox, so he had to bend down to shake their hands. "Adam Ives. Thank you for coming."

"Can you tell us what happened?" Judy asked.

Adam shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. I stepped out for lunch and when I got back my shop was in pieces."

Judy took out her notebook to interview the elk while Nick went to check out the crime scene. The counter was smashed, the walls had giant holes in them, and the light fixtures on the walls were now piles of glass on the floor. Spray painted on to the door to the back room were the letters TRO. Nick stared in confusion for a moment. _Never seen anything like this before._

He went back outside to see what Judy had found out. "Nothing was stolen," the rabbit said, "just damaged."

Nick nodded. "Nothing worth stealing. Any watches worth something- the kind with diamonds or gold or whatever- wouldn't end up somewhere so out of the way like this."

Judy chose not to comment on how Nick would know something like that. "'Out of the way' may be why this place was targeted. The street was practically abandoned at the time. No one saw anything."

"Not even the other store owners?"

"Nope. The nearest ones heard the commotion and called 911, but that's it."

Nick looked thoughtfully at the wrecked building. "So they knew exactly where and when to hit. Probably staked the place out for a while. That means some level of organization, but I've never seen any of the crime bosses do something like this." Nick motioned for his partner to follow him. "And then there's this."

"TRO? What's that?" Judy inquired after seeing the graffiti.

Nick shrugged. "No idea. Never seen it before."

Judy stared at the fox. "So we may be dealing with a new gang here?"

"Well… Maybe. Not necessarily. It could just be some random punks who got lucky with their mark. Either way, let's call this in and get going. I could use some lunch myself."


End file.
